Gauge foot for sewing machines



1949- J. WALLSH 2,478,032

GAUGE FOOT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed June 9,- 1947 INVEN TOR.

' JACGB MALI/J15 BY I I r. yzzfi m Patented Aug. 2, 1949 UNITED STATESaTsNT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a gauge foot for sewing machines.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a gauge foot whichis adjustable and which will still be provided with a smoothing surfaceextending throughout the length of the gauge which .is offset from thesewing machine foot and wherein the gauge toot does not have to becompletely disassembled from the sewing machine ioot in order to adaptthe same for different widths.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an adjustablegauge foot or stitching gauge including smoothing elements or" differentsizes or widths which may be severally or singularly assembled upon abar which extends from the side of the sewing machine foot and retainedthereon wherein simpl devices are provided for retaining the severalsmoothing elements upon the bar when located beside one another and interlocking means for preventing relative rotation of the elements withrespect to one another and for maintaining a flush and continuous bottomor smoothing surface.

Other objects of the present invention are to 7 provide an adjustablestitching gauge or gauge foot for sewing machines which is of simpleconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture and efficient in operation.

For a better understanding of the invention, 1

reference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is aperspective view of a sewing machine foot having means thereon for theattachment thereto and the securing thereof of my adjustable stitchinggauge or gauge foot.

Fig. 2 is a collective and perspective View of my gauge foot detachedfrom the sewing machine foot.

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken across the sewingmachine foot and looking in plan upon the top of my adjustable gaugefoot with fragments of the gauge foot broken away to show the connectionof one of the elements to the guiding plate at the end of the bar.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a sewing machine foot with my gauge footsecured thereto and extended to a maximum width and on which a pluralityof smoothing elements have been mounted.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary and top plan view of the end of my gauge foot onwhich a plurality of different size elements have been assembled andbroken away to show the interconnection between the elements to retainthem against movement 2 relative to one another when mounted upon theauge bar.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of one of the elements.

Fig. '7 is aside elevational view of a modified form of element whichcan be attached to the g uge .oar without the removal of the bar fromthe sewing machine foot and wherein there is a spring clip means forretaining the element in the elevated position upon the bar.

Fig. 8 is a side elevational View of a modified form of gauge elementand showing a difierent type of means for retaining the gauge element onthe bar.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I5 represents a sewingmachine foot through which a needle is extended to form a stitching It.This foot 5 has a spring member l! adapted to retain my gauge footdevice it within a recess i9 the top of the foot.

, My gauge foot device includes a bar 2! adjustable through the recessl9 and on the gauging end of the same is a guide plate 22 adapted to runalong the edge of a sheet of material 23 or along another stitchingfrom-which the stitching H5 is to be gauged or governed. As shown inFig. l a wide smoothing element 24 is mounted on the bar 2! and retainedflush against'the guide plate 22. i his smoothing element 24 may be ofvariable width and will govern the distance to which the stitching l6 isto be applied to the sheet 23 from the edge thereof. This element has anopening 25 for receiving the bar 2 l. The element also has a projection26 adapted to be extended into a hole 21 in guide plate 22 or in holes28 of adjacent smoothing elements assembled on the bar as shown in Figs.4 and 5. This hole and projection arrangement will retain the smoothingelements against vertical displacement from one another and to maintaina smooth and continuous bottom smoothing surface of the severalsmoothing elements on the bar 2 l.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 7, there is shown a modified form ofsmoothing element as indicated at 3! with a bottom smoothing surface 32.The smoothing element 3| has a top slot 33 adapted to receive the bar 2|when extended into the slot from the top edge of the element 3|. Intothe opening 33 is a retaining element 34 which is backed up by a springstrip 34 secured along with the retaining element 34 to the top of thesmoothing element 3| by a screw 36.

In Fig. 8, there is a modified form of smoothing element in which theopening or slot is extended into the rear end of the element asindicated at 31. The rear end of the slot 31 has diverging top andbottom faces adapted to receive a V-shaped portion 38 of a spring strip39 secured to the top of the element by a screw 4|.

It will be apparent that there has been provided a gauge foot for sewingmachines which is adjustable to diflerent widths by the utilization ofdifferent size smoothing elements and wherein the smoothing elements canbe applied to the supporting bar of the foot without removing the barfrom the sewing machine foot and wherein there is means provided on theseveral elements for retaining the same on the bar against displacement.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A gauge foot for sewing machines adapted to be attached to the sewingmachine foot comprising a bar having a guiding plate on one-end of thesame and adapted to be adjustably clamped to the sewing machine foot todifferent positions, and a smoothing element of predetermined widthhaving a recess formed therein and said bar being positioned in saidrecess whereby said smoothing element is releasably and slidably mountedon the bar and which when the, bar is clamped to the sewing machine footis adapted to provide a smoothing surface between the guide plate on theend of the bar and the sewing machine foot, the smoothing element beingengageable with the sewing machine foot to set off the guiding plate ameasured distance from the sewing machine foot, said guiding platehaving a portion thereon extending below said bar, the inner surface ofwhich is adapted to serve as an edge guide, said smoothing elementhaving a surface extending below the said bar a lesser distance than thebottom surface of the said guiding plate and extending the full width ofthe element.

2. A gauge foot for sewing machines adapted to be attached to the sewingmachine foot comprisinga bar having a guiding plate on one end of thesame and adapted to be adjustably clamped to the sewing machine foot todifferent positions, andsmoothing elements of predetermined widthshaving recesses'iormed therein and said bar being positioned in saidrecesses whereby said smoothing elements are releasably and adjustablymounted on the bar and which when the bar is clamped to the sewingmachine foot are adapted to provide a smoothing surface between theguide plate on the end of the bar and the sewing machine foot, thesmoothing element most removed from the guide plate being engageablewith the sewing machine foot whereby to set off the guiding plate ameasured distance from the sewing machine foot, and means forinterlocking the smoothing elements together and any one of the elementsto the guide plate whereby to maintain the smoothing elements againstvertical displacement relative to one another.

34 A gauge foot for sewing machines adapted to be attached to the sewingmachine foot comprising a bar having a guiding plate on one end of thesame and adapted to be adjustably clamped to the sewing machine foot todifferent positions,

and smoothing elements of predetermined width adapted to be releasablyand adjustably mounted on the bar and which when the bar is clamped tothe sewing machine foot are adapted to provide a smoothing surfacebetween the guide plate on the end of the bar and the sewing machinefoot, and each of said smoothing elements having a top slot thereinextending downwardly from the top face of the element and adapted toreceive the bar, and to permit the connection of the element to the barwithout the. removal of the bar from the sewing machine foot and springstrip means secured to the top of the element and extending into theopening for engagement with the bar whereby to retain the elementupwardly against the bar, said smoothing elements being engageable withone another to set off a measured distance from the sewing machineelement and the smoothing element most removed from the guide platebeing engageable with the sewing machine foot.

4. A gauge foot for sewing machines adapted to be attached to the sewingmachine foot comprising a bar having a guiding plate on one end of thesame and adapted to be adjustably clamped to the sewing machine foot todifferent positions, and smoothing elements of predetermined widthadapted to be releasably and adjustably mounted on the bar and whichwhen the bar is clamped to the sewing machine foot are adapted toprovide a smoothing surface between the guide plate on the end of thebar and the sewing machine foot, and each of said smoothing elementshaving a slot extending inwardly from its rear end and spaced from theupper and lower surfaces whereby to permit the smoothing element to beslid rearwardly over the forward edge of the bar and to permit theconnecting of the element to the bar without the removal of the bar fromthe sewing machine foot, said slot having diverging faces at its openend, a spring strip having a V-shaped portion adapted to extend into theslot to abut the rear edge of the bar and the diverging faces of theslot whereby to retain the elements upon the bar, said smoothingelements being engageable with one another to set off a measureddistance from the sewing machine element and the smoothing element mostremoved from the guide plat e being engageable with the sewing machinefoo JACOB WALLSH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 723,608 Joecken et al Mar. 24,1903 815,342 Fleigel Mar. 20, 1906 1,053,548 Tela Feb. 18, 19131,103,836 Raplee July 14, 1914

